Month: August 2014

It’s here. The car nobody asked for. The mysterious Youabian Puma. The video is doing the rounds on various motoring blogs and websites, and opinion seems to be almost universally veering towards its ugliness and pointlessness, much like the Fiat Multipla.

It seems that the Puma was created by a cosmetic surgeon (there’s surely a metaphor, or at least a joke, somewhere in there) from Los Angeles with the express intention of being unique, something which few could argue it hasn’t achieved. Unfortunately it looks like the Frankenstein’s monster of automobiles, with bits borrowed here and there, including headlights from what appears to be a 90s Honda Civic. Despite large tires and a claimed offroad ability, the car was mainly designed for use on the streets.

The figures are decent enough – this thing is powered by a 7L 505hp V8, funneled through a 6 speed automatic gearbox, though we can’t imagine cornering is one of it’s strengths.

Oh, and it costs $1.1m. So there’s that.

According to the official site, the Puma is the result of feedback from wealthy car owners from around the world who were sick of the old reliable Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and wanted something truly different. But if you’re really desperate for attention and a fast supercar with a prancing horse stuck to the front isn’t doing it for you, perhaps try an Apache helicopter, or dress up as a clown whilst riding a jet propelled skateboard. Almost anything’s better.

If you’re into that sort of thing, Land Rover have recently announced their fastest ever Range Rover – the Range Rover Sport SVR (SVR will be the future designation for all the more sporty-minded Land Rover and Jaguar models).

This version gets a 5.0L supercharged V8 engine with an output of 542hp, and will charge to 100 kph in 4.5 seconds, topping out at 260 kph. The pretty great looking SVR will make its début a Pebble Beach in California this Thursday. All of that power is delivered or restrained via an eight speed automatic transmission, upgraded air suspension and bushings, and a four-wheel drive chassis, despite the fact that driving on a slightly grassy lane is as much off-roading as the average Range Rover will experience.

Fast forward 50, 60 or 70 years, and changes in the way we fuel our cars will have undoubtedly come to the fore. Will petrol and diesel still largely feature, or will electricity have become the dominant force? And then, of course, there are the other sources clamouring for attention, including hydrogen and…salt water. Sort of.

Step forward the nanoFLOWCELL AG Quant e-Sportlimousine which made its début at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014. nanoFLOWCELL AG hasn’t given away too much about the specifics of how their car works. The e-Sportlimousine is powered by nano flow cell technology, which the company claims has five times as much energy efficiency and storage capabilities when compared to conventional flow cell batteries. The technology was initially developed for NASA during the 1970s, and works similar to hydrogen fuel cells. Carried in two 200 litre tanks, negative and positively charged electrolytic solutions flow through a flow cell in the centre. This central cell is split down the centre by a membrane and allows an electrical charge to pass through and produce power for the drivetrain. The addition of super capacitors means that the produced energy can be stored and distributed as its needed. Critics have argued that the energy density of such flow cell batteries has always been lower than that of their lithium ion counterparts, so it’ll be interesting if Quant’s claims are proven to be accurate.